The present invention relates to computer systems, and more particularly to a method and system for determining whether an erase procedure has run been on a hard drive.
Computer systems are used for a variety of applications. For example, FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a portion of a conventional computer system 10. The conventional computer system 10 includes a monitor 12, the keyboard 14 and drives 16 and 18. Typically, one or more of the drives 16 and 18 are hard drives. The drives 16 and 18 the shown as being sectored. Thus, the drive 16 includes sector 020, sector 122, sector 224 through sector n 26. Similarly, the drive 18 includes sector 030, sector 132, sector 234 through sector n 36. The conventional computer system 10 could include other components which, for the sake of clarity, are not shown. The conventional computer system 10 could be a desktop system, a workstation, a laptop, a server, or other computer system.
Often, the user of the conventional computer system 10 desires to replace the conventional computer system 10 with another system (not shown). For example, in a business, the conventional computer system 10 may be redistributed to another employee or discarded when the employee using the conventional computer system 10 receives a new system. However, the conventional computer system 10 may include sensitive for confidential data on one or more of the drives 16 and 18. Therefore, before discarding or redistributing the conventional computer system 10, all data should be removed from the drives 16 and 18.
FIG. 2A depicts a conventional method 50 for a scrub program that erases, or removes data from, the drives 16 and 18 of a computer. The conventional method 50 is typically carried out for each drive of the computer system 10 being reused or discarded. In addition, the conventional method 50 may be carried out multiple times for each drive. The information for the drive is obtained, via step 52. For example, this information might include the serial number of the drive. The write buffer (not shown in FIG. 1) is then initialized with an overwrite pattern, via step 54. The overwrite pattern is then written to each sector of the drive, via step 56. Step 56 may also be repeated multiple times for each drive to ensure that data on the drive cannot be recovered. Step 56 is performed multiple times for each drive, typically when higher sensitivity data is desired to be removed. When the conventional method 50 is carried out for drives 16 and 18 having lower sensitivity data, step 56 is typically performed only once. In addition, in another conventional method, steps 54 and 56 may be replaced by merely erasing the drive. However, in such a case, the data is typically recoverable.
FIG. 2B depicts a conventional method 60 for erasing the drive 16 and 18 and discarding the conventional computer system 10. A scrub program is run on the conventional computer system 10, via step 62. The scrub program removes the data on the drives 16 and 18, preferably so the data cannot be recovered. For example, step 62 typically includes running a scrub program which implements the conventional method 50. In a business, the conventional computer system 10 is provided to the appropriate organization for reuse or discarding, via step 64. For example, the conventional computer system 10 may be provided to a network administrator who is responsible for the business""s computers. The removal of the data on the drives 16 and 18 is then manually validated, via step 66. Step 66 typically includes rerunning the scrub program on the conventional computer system 10. Step 66 could also include checking written material which comes with the conventional computer system 10. The written material could include a log which would indicate whether or not a scrub program has been run on the conventional computer system 10. In the alternative, step 66 could include checking each sector of the drives 16 and 18 to be sure that all data has been erased and cannot be recovered. The conventional computer system 10 can then be reused or discarded, via step 68.
Although the conventional method 60 allows the conventional computer system 10 to be reused or discarded, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the conventional method 60 is inefficient. In particular, manually validating whether data has been removed from the drives 16 and 18, in step 66, may take a relatively long time. For example, rerunning the scrub program can take a long time because each sector of each drive 16 and 18 must be overwrite in at least once. In addition, this would duplicate work that might have already been done. Trusting a written log that indicates whether the scrub program has been run leaves open the possibility for error. For example, the log may incorrectly indicate that data has been removed from the drives 16 and 18. As a result, sensitive data may accidentally be released. Inspecting each sector of the drives 16 and 18 to ensure that sensitive data has been removed is also quite time-consuming. Thus, this validation of the removal of data is time-consuming and, therefore, costly. Not performing a validation of the removal of data is generally not an option because this would result in sensitive data being released.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for rapidly and easily determining whether all of the data on a drive for a computer system has been removed. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides a method and system for validating that erasing a drive of a computer system has occurred. The method and system comprise scrubbing the drive and writing a message to a portion of the drive such that the message will be provided to a user in response to a computer system containing the drive being booted after scrubbing. The message indicates that the drive has been scrubbed.
According to the system and method disclosed herein, the present invention allows a user to rapidly and easily determine whether all of the data on a drive of a computer system has been erased.